Offseason Power Rankings for Every Player on the Cincinnati Bengals' Roster

Power rankings are always a tricky proposition, especially when it comes to players on the same team. What criteria should be used? How do you compare offensive and defensive players? How do you a rank a rookie who has yet to step on a professional field?

I have tried to answer those questions and more when ranking the roster of the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s not an exact science by any means, but really more of a gut feeling on who the best players on the team are at this very moment in time.

Since it was impossible to determine who will actually be on the Bengals’ 53-man roster come September, I decided to concentrate on the top 65 players on my list, those guys who will be fighting it out for spots.

27. CB Adam Jones

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Cornerback Adam Jones appears to have turned his life around, and it has reflected in his play on the field. But he remains injury prone, and his calf injury this week is just the latest to plague him.

24. LB Rey Maualuga

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Linebacker Rey Maualuga finished second on the team in tackles with 122, but it was the missed tackles that haunted Bengals fans. He still needs to get better at reading the play, rather than just reacting.

21. CB Dre Kirkpatrick

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The Bengals drafted Dre Kirkpatrick in the first round last year to shore up a weak secondary. Unfortunately for both the player and the team, injuries ruined that plan. But a healthy Kirkpatrick could easily fly up these ratings.

20. RB Giovani Bernard

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Giovani Bernard has yet to play a game in the NFL, but the Bengals are understandably excited about their second-round pick. He rushed for nearly 2,500 yards and scored 25 touchdowns in his last two seasons at North Carolina.

19. RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis

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This may be too low of a spot for BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who rushed for a career-high 1,094 yards last season and scored six touchdowns. But it just shows how deep the Bengals have become over the past several years.

18. DE Wallace Gilberry

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The Bengals plucked Wallace Gilberry off the street last season, and he rewarded them with 6.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. The Bengals gave Gilberry a new deal in the offseason and for good reason. He's one of the best backup ends in the league.

16. WR Mohamed Sanu

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Before he got injured last season, Mohamed Sanu was turning into a legitimate offensive weapon. While he caught only 16 passes, he did score four touchdowns, and the Bengals appear very pleased with his progress.

15. DT Domata Peko

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While line mates Geno Atkins, Michael Johnson and Carlos Dunlap get all of the attention, Peko still has a place as one of the best nose tackles in the league. Peko had 53 tackles and two sacks last year.

14. G Kevin Zeitler

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A first-round draft pick a year ago, Kevin Zeitler was brought in to improve the Bengals offensive line. He did that and more, starting all 17 games and combining with Andrew Whitworth to lock down the left side.

13. TE Tyler Eifert

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The Bengals drafted Tyler Eifert in the first round this year to give Andy Dalton another playmaker in the passing game. After catching 50 passes for 685 yards and four touchdowns at Notre Dame last season, the Bengals hope Eifert will fit that bill.

12. S Reggie Nelson

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Reggie Nelson had three interceptions and 85 tackles a year ago and helped solidify a defensive backfield that had been in flux for years. The Bengals still need a second starter but appear to be set with Nelson in the lineup.

11. LB James Harrison

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James Harrison brings a healthy dose of swagger to the Bengals, but what the team really needs is production. Harrison suffered several injuries last season but still had 70 tackles and six sacks for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

9. LB Vontaze Burfict

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Vontaze Burfict went from undrafted college free agent to starting linebacker and ended up leading the team in tackles with 127 and also had a sack. Burfict still has some room for improvement, but he is already one of his team's best defenders.

8. TE Jermaine Gresham

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Jermaine Gresham reached his second Pro Bowl in 2012 after a season that saw him catch 64 passes, second on the team to only A.J. Green, for 737 yards and five scores. Still, it feels as if Gresham has more in the tank and could be even more of a weapon in the passing game than he already is.

7. CB Leon Hall

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When healthy, Leon Hall is one of the best cover corners in the league. He had only two interceptions last season but returned one of those for a touchdown. He also had 38 tackles and is a key component in the run defense.

5. T Andrew Whitworth

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Andrew Whitworth started his career at guard, but since moving to tackle, he has emerged as one of the best players in the league at his position. Whitworth protects Dalton's weak side and also plays a major role in the Bengals' strong running game.

4. QB Andy Dalton

Dalton's career is at a crossroads in 2013. The former second-round pick has led the Bengals to back-to-back playoff berths, but he still has to prove that he is one of the NFL's best quarterbacks.

That's not to say that Dalton hasn't been good. He completed 62.3 percent of his passes in 2012 and had 27 touchdowns to just 16 interceptions. Those numbers alone make Dalton one of the Bengals' best players.

3. DE Michael Johnson

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Michael Johnson busted through with his best season as a pro in 2012 with 11.5 sacks and 52 tackles while facing double-teams from the edge.

The big season earned Johnson the franchise tag from the Bengals and should make him a very rich man in the coming months. He is also an indispensable member of Cincinnati’s very strong defensive unit.